Electrical connector



Nov. 15, 1949 A. J. HBAROCAS 2,488,113-

, ELECTRICAL .commcwofl Filed June 3, 1946 IN V EN TOR. AB/F/IH/IM .15/4/ 002;

ATTOF NE 7? Patented Nov. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES FPATENT OFFICEELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Abraham J. Barocas. New York, N. Y. ApplicationJune 3, 1946, Serial No. 573,993

This invention relates to a decorative lighting device and moreparticularly to a string of lights for decorating Christmas trees andfor other purposes.

Christmas tree lights are commonly made as a complete closed loop ofsingle or double wires, frequently with each bulb on the end of aknotted section. Such strings of lights are not very satisfactorybecause they are dificult to drape artistically on a tree, because theyuse an inordinate amount of Wire and because it is impossible to concealsuch wires eifectively.

It is, furthermore, often inconvenient and impracticable to connect manysuch strings of lights together and usually they must all lead to one ormore multi-socket plugs. Those familiar with Christmas tree lights andtheir use will recognize still other defects and disadvantages inaddition to those outlined above. So far as I am aware,

the foregoing problems have not been solved in a simple, inexpensive andpractical manner.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome theobjections of prior lighting devices and to provide a string of lightsfor. Christmas tree or other use which has unique features andadvantages of its own.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plug body whichis adapted to receive 3 Claims. (C11 173-361) 7 Fig. 4 shows my new plugused as a male plug.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 Of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows a typical interior view of one of the plug parts.

Fig. 7 shows the plug converted to a female plug.

Figs. 8 and 9 show details of the female plug arrangement. 10

An important feature of my invention iresides in a plug which may, forconvenience, v be termed sexless, but which can be adapted for useeither as a male plug or a female plug in a simple easy manner, as seenin Figs. 4-11. Such a plug consists of two complementary parts 2'! and21a, each of which has an aperture 28 so that two parts can be held inassembled relationship by a screw 29 and nut 30 or by tubular rivet.

As will be best observed in Fig. 6, the inner side of part 21 ischanneled out in such manner as to form the islands 3 with channels 32around the same and also the straight channels 33. The raised arcuatemember 34 defines separate paths for each of the wires l6. Each part isadapted selectively and interchangeably male and female terminals andwhich may be quickly converted from one to the other as required forconnecting a plurality of strings of lights into a single compositestring lending itself to artistic application to a Christmas tree and toeffective concealment while using a minimum amount of wire.

A still further object is to provide novel contact terminals, both maleand female, adapted for interchangeable insertion in the sam plug body.

Other and further objects and advantages will be pointed out hereinafteror will be understood by those familiar with Christmas tree lights andsimilar electrical devices.

In the accompanyingdrawings, in which I have illustrated preferredembodiments of the several features of the invention:

Fig. 1 illustrates a string of lights in closed loop form and providedwith my new plug and sockets.

Fig. '2 illustrates a part of a string of lights constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Fig. 3 illustrates a prior art type of light string wherein the wiresare knotted to obtain desired effect.

for either male or female use and can be converted from one to theother. To form a male plug, a contact element 35 Which consists of apiece of fiat stock offset in parallel planes, is

I secured to each conductor I6.

This may be simply done by passing the end of the conductor through ahole 36 in element 35 or by soldering or otherwise connecting element 35to the com ductor. Elements 35 then extend outwardly via I straightchannels as with the shoulder of the offset portion abutting the islandsam, as will be seen in Fig. 10. To form a female plug, a

' V-shaped contact element 31 is soldered or otherwise suitably securedto conductors I B and elements 3! are disposed in channels 32 aroundislands 3|, as will b clearly apparent from Fig.

'7. It will now be readily understood how the male plug may be convertedto a female plug, or

. vice versa.

It will also be understood that the female plug arrangement of Fig. 7 isadapted to receive the male plug arrangement of Fig. 10.

Composite strings of lights can, therefore, easily be built up in anydesired manner. It will further be understood that while the plugdescribed and illustrated is preferably utilized with sockets ashereinabove described, such plug can, however, be used with any type ofsocket and a y ype of and a cover, the inner side of the body having...raised protuberances spaced to formnchannelsmo.

receive and hold selectively male or female electrical contact elements,said protuberancesszinw cluding an upstanding wall aroundtheperimeter.

of the body, a pair of openings through said wall at the face side ofsaid body for the passage of prongs therethrough, a pair ofprotuberan-ces extending inwardly into said body from the ends of thewall section intermediate said openings, a right-triangularly shapedraised portion extendinginwardly fromsaid face wall section on eitherside of the mentioned pair of protuberances to complete'the wallsofchannels leading inwardly from said openings, one side of each saidtriangle forming the. channel wall, another side of each said trianglecoincident with said perimetralwall, thezhypotenuse of each saidtriangle constituting a wall of a channel reentrant from said inwardlyextending channels, atrapezoidal island with its acute angled endextending into the space formed between each said hypotenuse-andits-adjacent portion of the perimetral wall and spaced therefrom toprovide a channel therearound, one of theparallel sides of saidisland.being offset out of line with said first mentioned side of saidtriangle, a pair of female contact elements arranged in opposed relationin said channels, each said contact element comprising a piece of flatspring metal bent acutely transversely thereof in its mid-portion, toforma V formation, corresponding to the channel around-said trapezoidalisland, with one of thelegsof said V having secured thereto an electricconductor which extends rearwardly from theface of the plug around theperimetral wall and out of said plug body, through another face thereof,the-other leg extending obliquely rearwardly, itsend lying closelyadjacent the upright Wall of the central island and athwart the channelwhich opens to the face of the plug.

2. An electrical plug comprising a hollow body and a.cover,-the innerside of the body having raised protuberances spaced to form channels toreceive and-hold selectively male-or female electrical contact elements,said protuberances includingan upstanding wall around the perimeter ofthe body, a pair of openings through said wall at the face side ofsaid'body-for the passage of prongs therethrough, a pair ofprotuberances extending inwardly into said body from the ends of'thewall section intermediate said openings, av right-triangularlyshaped raised portion extending inwardly from said face wall. section oneither side of the'mentioned pair of protuberances to complete the wallsof channels leading inwardly from said openings, one side of each saidtriangle forming the channel wall, another side of each said trianglecoincident with said perimetral wall, the hypotenuse of each saidtriangle constituting awall of a channel reentrant from saidinwardlyextending channels, a trapezoidal island with its acute angled endextending into the space formed between each said hypotenuse and itsadjacent portion of the perimetral wall and spaced therefrom to providea channel therearound, one of the parallel sides of said island beingoffset out of line with said first mentioned side of said triangle, apair of male contact elements arranged in opposed relation in saidchannels, each said contact element compris- "ing-eja 'piece of' flatmetal= ofiset in parallel planes,

part of each contact extending outwardly of said body through one ofsaid openings, the remaining portion extending inwardly with the offsetshoulder. abutting the apex portion of said triangularly'shaped raisedportion, the inner part ofisaidcremaining portion lying in said offsetchannel, and electrical conductors secured to the inner'ends "of saidremaining portions.

3;;Anzelectrical plug casing comprising a hollow body and a cover, theinner side of the body having raisedprotuberan'ces:spaced to formchannels toreceive and hold selectively male or female electricalcontact elements, said protuberances including an upstanding wall aroundthe perimeter oftthe body, a pair of openingsthrough saidwall atthe-face side of said body forthepassage of prongs therethrough,-a pairof protuberances extending inwardly intosaid body. from the .ends of thewall section' intermediate-said openings,,,a right-triangularlyshapedraisedportion extending inwardly fromsaidface wall. section oneither side of the mentioned-pair... of .protuberances. to complete thewalls of channels leading inwardly from said openings, oneside of eachsaid triangle formingathe :channel wall, another side of each saidtriangle coincident with said perimetral wall, the hypotenuse of each.said triangle constituting awall of a channel reentrant fromsaid.inwardly extending-channelsa trapezoidal island with its acuteangledLend extending into the space formed between each saidv hypotenuse.and its adjacent portion of the perimetral wall and spaced'therefrom toprovidea -.channel..therearound, one of the parallel-sides of:saidisland being offset out of-line with saidfirst mentioned side-ofsaid triangle.

ABRAHAM J. BAROCAS.

REFERENCES CITED 1 Th'efollowing references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED .STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 995,674 Hertzbert et a1. June20, 1911 1,918,126 Peterson July 11, 1933 1,961,484 Grant June 5, 19342,086,641 Riley July 13, 1937 2,136,193 Karst Nov. 8, 1938 2,172,347Cl'emence Sept. 13, 1939 2,222,715 Kuhlman Nov. 26, 1940 2,228,334Abbott Jan. 14, 1741 2,229,403 Benander Jan.'21, 1941 2,239,878 ClaytonApr. 29, 1941 2,248,082 Herman July 8, 1941 2,254,754 Reece Sept. 2,1941 2 1 J Smith, Jr. Mar. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number: Country Date100,948 Great Britain Oct; 5, 1916 355,608 Germany June 29, 1922

